OSG-37 - 1ooming Lizards

[haphazard1]

The genocide question is something to keep in mind, with both the Klackons and Mrrshan being reduced to (I think?) single worlds. We should probably hold off crushing either of them until after the 2475 council meeting, at least.

jez9999 might be busy with the Easter weekend and such? Hopefully we will hear something, even if it is just a 'busy need a skip' message. Given my own issues earlier, no complaints from me if jez9999 needs a bit more time.

[jez9999]

Hey, just realized I was up, should be getting my turns done in the next day or 2.

[jez9999]

So, looking around, this looks like pretty much any other late-game MOO1 scenario to me; millions of fleets milling about, virtually impossible to keep track of. I think this is one of the things I don't really like about the game. I like to feel I have a sense of control and ability to know what's really going on but a million fleets, when you combine ours, and Alkari's, and the Bulrathi's, just feels chaotic. I suppose it's meant to "feel" like just intergalactic traffic, and you're meant to just focus on your worlds' defence, but at the same time I've seen people recommend paying attention to fleet movement. Good luck doing that with so many fleets buzzing about that it feels like feeding time for midges at the old swamp hole.

I have to admit, I just can't get into MOO1. I find the late game spectacularly boring, and can't be bothered to do anything but send the odd fleet and hit next turn. Someone else should play instead of me.

[haphazard1]

Things can get rather confusing in the later stages of the game, with lots of fleets moving around the galaxy at high speed. I usually set up rally points at this stage, using RELOC orders from my ship producing worlds (generally the rich or ultra rich ones) to automatically gather new forces at some system close to the war front. Then attacks can be sent out from the rally point system, backed up with transports from whatever systems have plenty of pop available.

OK, it sounds like jez9999 would prefer a skip so I think that makes me the active player. I will take a look at the save this afternoon and see what I can do.

[shallow_thought]

I have to admit, I just can't get into MOO1.  I find the late game spectacularly boring, and can't be bothered to do anything but send the odd fleet and hit next turn.  Someone else should play instead of me.

It took me a while to get into MOO. RefSteel's writing helps.

More practically, smaller maps make for a shorter endgame (although at the cost of high variance - some starts are horrifc, some snooze-fests where everything just rolls into place).

And if you think the endgame is tedious in MOO, I'd be interested in how you find Civ III through VI ...

[haphazard1]

Sorry for the delay in getting started with the turn set, I was busy with family stuff for Easter weekend. Taking a look at the galaxy, we are now ahead in total power -- usually a solid indicator that we have reached a winning position. The Mrrshan and Klackons are single planet empires, so we want to be careful about wiping them out; probably better to let someone else take the diplo hit for genocide, although we easily have enough pop to block any loss in the council so maybe it does not matter at this point. There are some technologies out there that we very much want: Controlled Radiated and Atmospheric Terraforming are known by the Bulrathi, the Psilons have Improved Robotic Controls IV, and the Alkari know Automated Repair Systems. There are also some nasty weapons techs that could be useful, or dangerous to us, known to several races.

I start by trading with the Bulrathi for Atmospheric Terraforming (we have a decent number of hostile planets that can not benefit from our upcoming Advanced Soil tech until they are non-hostile) and also Controlled Radiated (there are three unclaimed radiated worlds in the galaxy, one of them ultra rich). The bears get Warp Dissapator (potentially dangerous but we can work around it if needed) and Class V force fields in return. I think the trades are worth it, as we will get several additonal worlds and many much larger worlds from the new techs. I scrap the Rattler design (none actually exist) and put together a colony design with a Radiated base, and order construction of three of these new ships to claim the available planets.

I go through our planets and set up spending for Armospheric Terraforming on all our hostile worlds. This is one of the better tech values in the game, IMHO, as for just 200 BC you convert a plenet from hostile to standard environment and get a boost in max population and growth rate while enabling soil and advanced soil for even further improvement. Most of our hostile worlds can do this in a single turn.

All this and I am not even done with the first turn yet. There is a lot going on in the galaxy.

[jez9999]

I have to admit, I just can't get into MOO1.  I find the late game spectacularly boring, and can't be bothered to do anything but send the odd fleet and hit next turn.  Someone else should play instead of me.

It took me a while to get into MOO. RefSteel's writing helps.

More practically, smaller maps make for a shorter endgame (although at the cost of high variance - some starts are horrifc, some snooze-fests where everything just rolls into place).

And if you think the endgame is tedious in MOO, I'd be interested in how you find Civ III through VI ...

I don't play Civ3 thru 6, I stopped at Civ2 :-) I'm just getting into FTL now though, bought that on GOG too, finding it quite a bit more innately engaging than MOO.

[haphazard1]

FTL is a lot of fun. I am not very good at the game, but I can manage an occasaional victory. (Now I have an urge to play some FTL. Must finish turn set first....)

I have played the first half of my turn set; lots happening every turn so it takes a while. I will post a full report later, but this game should be just about over. We have colonized two of the three radiated worlds, converted all our hostile worlds to standard, advanced soil is over 40%, and our spies just stole Improved Robotic Controls IV from the Psilons. Lots and lots of additional factories will be built, our production is going to be ridiculous. We also stole Graviton Beam from the Bulrathi, along with some obsolete computer tech.

[DaveV]

Sounds like a good trade with the Bulrathi. Building up our rich planets to huge population and lots of factories should give us a decisive edge.

[haphazard1]

Turns completed. Life has gotten busy again so I will provide a quick turn by turn report.

2450 (inherited turn):

Traded with Bulrathi for Controlled Radiated and Atmospheric Terrforming
Ordered up colony ships for 3 radiated planets
Sent fleets to cover the 3 radiated worlds
Alkari are allied with Bulrathi and Psilons, so not a good time to attack any of them
Alkari ships are incoming to Obaca and Reticuli

2451

Alkari develop Cloning tech
Shuffling ships to cover worlds, colony ships
Most atmospheric terraforming done, planets growing

2452

Our spies hit the Bulrathi in all sectors, I pick computers and get Battle Computer Mark IV, framing the Alkari
We colonize Primodius (size 10 radiated), send some pop from Kulthos

2453

Our spies get another hit on the Bulrathi, I pick weapons and we get Graviton Beam
Our spies hit the Psilons, I pick computers and we get IRC4
We colonize Vulcan (size 10 radiated), send some pop from Escalon
This triggers GNN half the galaxy message
Psilons break trade pact, saying they need to expand
Mrrshan ask for peace, I agree
Alkari/Bulrathi alliance has dissolved
All developed planets shuffle spending to begin adding more factories

2454

Repel Alkari fleet at Obaca, inflicting substantial losses; their ships have heavy blast cannon
Bulrathi destroy the Mrrshan (reported as genocide by GNN), but Alkari end up in control of Fieras
Advanced Soil research completed; all developed worlds begin applying the change
Planetology research set to Terraforming+60 to advance tree
Rana gets hit with super nova event; begin reserve spending to research a solution. This is the same planet as had the industrial spill event, the place is obviously cursed
Bulrathi have particle beam tech

2455

Most worlds now gaias; mass factory building for new robotic controls
Colonize Selia, radiated size 25 ultra rich; send seed pop
Shuffle ships to Reticuli to cover for incoming Alkari fleet

2456

Building factories, researching nova at Rana
Our spies hit Klackons, we steal Reduced Industrial Waste 60%

2457

Alkari fleet at Reticuli, obsolete smalls firing nuclear missiles ; destroy about half, rest retreat
Many worlds max factories, have some more dragons under construction
Shuffle ships to cover incoming fleets at Escalon, Selia
Nova research

2458

Bears break our trade agreement, claiming they need new worlds
Nova research continues
AI fleets incoming to multiple worlds

2459

Alkari fleet at Reticuli, retreats after taking some losses
Bulrathi have transports incoming to Selia; sending various ships to help defend and building some of our smalls there
Nova problem at Rana solved
Our spies steal Mass Driver tech from Klackons

2460

Not much happens, really


Notes for the next speaker:

- The AIs are sending random fleets to several of our worlds, so keep an eye out for them
- Bulrathi transports are incoming to Selia, our new ultra rich radiated planet. I have been shuffling ships to cover the planet, but it is very new so defending may be tricky.
- There is lots of cash in the treasury.
- Rana is still building factories after the nova, but everywhere else is (I think) maxed out for pop and industry except for the three new small radiated worlds we just colonized.

We should be able to win this game just about any way we want. The AIs have been forming and breaking alliances almost every turn, so picking a target to attack may be tough without causing a general war. But we are probably strong enough to just stomp them all, if we want to build a big fleet.

RefSteel - UP!
DaveV - on deck
jez9999 - in the bull pen
haphazard1 - just played